A Financial Times Best Economics Book of the Year A ProMarket Best Political Economy Book of
the Year A timely and very useful guide...Boushey assimilates a great deal of recent economic
research and argues that it amounts to a paradigm shift. --New Yorker In this outstanding book
Heather Boushey...shows that beyond a point inequality damages the economy by limiting the
quantity and quality of human capital and skills blocking access to opportunity underfunding
public services facilitating predatory rent-seeking weakening aggregate demand and increasing
reliance on unsustainable credit. --Martin Wolf Financial Times The strongest documentation I
have seen for the many ways in which inequality is harmful to economic growth. --Jason Furman
former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Think rising levels of inequality are just
an inevitable outcome of our market-driven economy? Then you should read Boushey's well-argued
well-documented explanation of why you're wrong. --David Rotman MIT Technology Review Do we
have to choose between equality and prosperity? Decisions made over the past 50 years have
created underlying fragilities in our society that make our economy less effective in good
times and less resilient to shocks such as today's coronavirus pandemic. Many think tackling
inequality would require such heavy-handed interference that it would stifle economic growth.
But a careful look at the data suggests nothing could be further from the truth--and that
reducing inequality is in fact key to delivering future prosperity. Presenting cutting-edge
economics with verve Heather Boushey shows how rising inequality is a drain on talent ideas
and innovation leading to a concentration of capital and a damaging under-investment in
schools infrastructure and other public goods. We know inequality is fueling social unrest.
Boushey shows persuasively that it is also a serious drag on growth.
